Have you noticed how some people in business seem unable to get to the point? They waffle, go round in circles, repeat themselves and succeed in looking and sounding confused. This post looks at why this happens and why you need to avoid it.
Clarity matters
In business, you need to have crystal clarity, regarding your products, services and overall mission. You need to know exactly what your business does, who it does it for and why people should hire you or buy from you, rather than one of your competitors. Failing to do this will result in confusion and a confused mind always says no! In other words, when you speak with prospective clients and they are unclear exactly what you do, they will usually do nothing.
You can’t expect prospective clients or customers to understand the value of your proposition, if you are unable to give them the clear, concise information they need.
You can’t get to the point, if you’re unclear what the point is
Many small business owners are unclear about exactly what their business does. They know the industry sector they are in, but are vague or fuzzy, regarding THEIR SPECIFIC business and why people should be interested in them.
For example, if Mary is an accountant but is unclear about what sets her apart from other local accountants,it’s going to be extremely hard for her to convince prospective clients to use her services, rather than a cheaper competitor. With additional clarity, Mary could explain what sets her apart and those prospective clients who value that, will work with her. Otherwise, Mary is destined to market herself based on fees – The dreaded race to the bottom!
A clear mission helps eliminate confusion
The mission statement of my new project Creative Thinking Hub, is clear and to the point:
I want to help as many people as I can, think as creatively as they can.
Anyone bright enough to be interested in developing their creative thinking skills, will be able to see what Creative Thinking Hub is all about, in just 16 words. That’s the kind of clarity you need, in order for those you speak with, to get a handle on exactly why you are worthy of their interest. This has also made it extremely easy for people to spread the word about the project.
In short: Get crystal clear about your business, who your client or customer is and EXACTLY why they should hire you or buy from you, rather than a cheaper competitor.
Let’s work together and grow your business. To find out more click here!
Photo: Rob Ellis
The clarity of your message Jim always comes through. It’s one of the things that I really admire about you and your writings.
I love that you don’t waffle – your economy of words is something I aspire to.
Thanks for the kind words, Peter.
As I am sure you know, it takes longer to write with fewer words, but the message becomes stronger, when it’s not full of fluff.
Hi Jim,
It’s a simple message but you are right, many small businesses fall into the lack of clarity then get caught in the fee trap!
Gavin
Hi Gav. Yes, it’s all too easy for the business to have no clear idea about their offering, then wonder why they “only attract fee sensitive” prospective clients.
Curious, how did you arrived at 16 words? And it seems character length would play in there somewhere (using simple/common words).
As always, thanks for sharing!
-jp
Hi JP. Thanks for the question.
I wasn’t aiming for X number of words, just a short, clear message.
Ah, just didn’t know if there was some research behind that “magic” number.
I love the less is more concept. Simple wins. Every time.
I often experience the frustration of trying to get a client to articulate what sets their business apart. I’ve found it helpful to ask “why did you go into business for yourself?” or “why did you decide to work here?”
Often, those questions produce the kinds of answers that will help craft a unique message.
Thanks for the ideas, Sara!
I think I will use this as a guide to make sure I get clarity on a few of my current efforts.
Once I get to create a simple and clear statement it will make it easier for me to do express my point of view and ideas.
Clarity works in so many ways, Raul.
Thanks for the feedback.
interesting post and one that we too preach to our clients when working on their websites. it is interesting to observe so many businesses that are not able to concisely convey their message – as we all know you have 2 seconds to make a first impression when someone visits your website. if not clear, they will not stay
Hey Jim,
Agree with you. We need to be clear on what our goals are, on our target audience and pretty much everything – what we are trying to accomplish with the blog post or how the post is going to help our readers. I think everyone needs to have a clear goal for their business/blog: For instance: My goal with my blog is to help people think and act [blog] from a different perspective
Anyways, Thanks for the post, Jim!
Jeevan Jacob John